Source: MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / Getty
Sotheby’s has announced it is auctioning an autographed Los Angeles Lakers jersey donned by the late NBA great Kobe Bryant during his 2008 MVP season. The item is expected to entertain bids as high as $7 million, and it represents the first of a two-part exhibition called “Zenith.”
“Led by this iconic Kobe Bryant jersey, the auctions feature a variety of athletes who have had deep and lasting impact on their respective sports,” the 278-year-old auction house says on its website. “From Michael Jordan to Roger Federer to Connor McDavid and Stephen Curry, the auctions feature a host of items many of which are fresh to market.”
According to the auction house, the Black Mamba scored 645 points across 25 games in that exact jersey that year. Bryant also wore it the very evening he was presented with the Most Valuable Player award.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, told CNBC, “To have this jersey from that iconic moment is not only really special, but it has also served as this point of inspiration all over the world of Kobe in this jersey.”
“Kobe is someone who doesn’t just inspire basketball players, he inspires other athletes, he inspires executives and business people,” he added. “It’s somebody that touches a lot of different people and so in that sense, I think perhaps he’s one of the strongest markets, period.”
Bryant iconically tugged at his jersey en route to a 2008 playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets, and that moment has been replicated in various photos, montages, and memorabilia all over the world. So Sotheby’s will include a skateboard deck and T-shirt featuring that image, a framed snapshot of the popular L.A. mural by Jonas Never, and more.
Bidding for the online action “Zenith: Part I” kicks off Wednesday, February 1 at 10am ET, and it is scheduled to run through February 9. Learn more by clicking here.
Iconic Kobe Bryant-Signed Lakers Jersey From 2008 MVP Season Could Sell For $7 Million was originally published on cassiuslife.com
